Crawfish Étouffée Steamed Rice (Printable)
A rich creole dish featuring crawfish in a savory roux sauce served atop steamed rice.
# What You'll Need:
→ For the Crawfish Étouffée
01 - 1 pound crawfish tails, peeled and cleaned (fresh or thawed frozen)
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
03 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
06 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 2 cups low-sodium chicken or seafood stock
09 - 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
10 - 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning
11 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, adjust for heat)
13 - 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 2 bay leaves
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped plus extra for garnish
16 - 2 green onions, sliced for garnish
17 - Salt and black pepper to taste
18 - Juice of 1/2 lemon
→ For the Steamed Rice
19 - 1 cup long-grain white rice
20 - 2 cups water
21 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
# How-To Steps:
01 - Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil. Stir in the rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes until tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
02 - In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 4 to 6 minutes to make a medium roux that should be light brown and nutty in aroma.
03 - Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the roux. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Gradually stir in the stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the drained tomatoes, Creole seasoning, paprika, cayenne, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
05 - Stir in the crawfish tails and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until heated through, taking care not to overcook. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Stir in parsley and lemon juice.
06 - Spoon steamed rice onto plates or bowls. Ladle the crawfish étouffée over the rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and extra parsley.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The roux based sauce creates an incredible depth of flavor that develops layers of complexity with each ingredient added
- Its one of those comforting dishes that somehow feels fancy enough for dinner guests but cozy enough for a Tuesday night
02 -
- Burning the roux happens to everyone, if you see black spots start over, theres no saving it
- Crawfish turn tough and rubbery faster than you think, the second theyre heated through youre done
03 -
- Chop all your vegetables before starting the roux, once that flour hits the butter you need constant attention
- Low and slow is your friend, rushing the roux results in a floury taste instead of that deep nutty flavor